It all started here in 1898. Dr. Leroy Culver built the first nine holes and John Dunn Tucker added the next nine, but it is clearly Donald Ross’s touch that you feel on Pinehurst’s first golf course.

Recalling his Scottish heritage, Ross made liberal use of bunkers, both across the fairway and around the green. Don’t let the short 6,089-yard par 70 fool you; wild drives or a sloppy short game can make for a long day. No. 1 was a great start for Pinehurst, and it’s a great start for your visit.

A three-time U.S. Open Site. A three-time winner of Travel + Leisure Golf Magazine’s Best Golf Resort in America award. The home of the famed No. 2 golf course. Pinehurst Resort seems to have it all when it comes to great golf destinations.

Around the world, Pinehurst is where the American golf story is rooted, and where it continues to flourish. Most know of its modern history – with stories like the Payne Stewart putt that won the 1999 U.S. Open. But locked with its archives are thousands of moments that define each generation for the past 100 years. Pinehurst is America’s first golf resort, and continues to be one of its' best.

Pinehurst No. 2, the centerpiece of Pinehurst Resort, remains one of the world’s most celebrated golf courses. It has served as the site of more single golf championships than any course in America and hosted back-to-back U.S. Open and U.S. Women’s Open Championships for the first time in 2014. The U.S. Open will return in 2024.

Opened in 1907, No. 2 was designed by Donald Ross, who called it “the fairest test of championship golf I have ever designed.” Ross was associated with the course for nearly a half-century, improving the course continually until his death in 1948. No. 2 is best known for its crowned, undulating greens, which are some of the most complex and widely hailed in the world. Ross believed in providing golfers with strategic choices, and Pinehurst No. 2 was intended to epitomize that philosophy.

In February of 2010, the design firm of Bill Coore & Ben Crenshaw began to restore the natural and strategic characteristics that were the essence of Ross’s original design. The project included the removal of about 35 acres of turf and the reintroduction of hardpan, natural bunker edges, and native wire grasses.

This classic Donald Ross design (circa 1910) is the shortest course at Pinehurst at just 5,155 yards. But don’t let its modest distance fool you – this is a fun par 68 that was renovated this year to return many of Ross’s original design flourishes and characteristics throughout the classic layout.

Tiny elevated greens – averaging just 4,500 square feet each – demand precision, the kind of delicate approaches that will surely come in handy as you gear up for No. 2. An interesting combination of par-3s and shorter par-4s provide ample opportunities to play aggressively in search of a low score. But beware – accuracy and distance control also come into play on a number of well-conceived doglegs.

Gil Hanse’s design of No. 4 is a brand new and bold expression of pure, timeless Carolinas Sandhills golf. Visually stunning from tee to green with exposed sand areas, vast cross bunkers and native wire grass meld with the site’s rolling topography and natural ridge lines to create dramatic vistas and strategic options on every hole.

“We’ve returned the original landscape to the course, and from there, we then created the features, slopes and green locations,” says Hanse, architect of the 2016 Olympic Course in Rio de Janeiro. “We believe golfers are going to appreciate how No. 4 fits into the Pinehurst lineup and elevates the entire golf experience.”

The par-5 9th hole is a shining example of how No. 4 has been reinvented through Hanse’s vision and touch. More than 25 pot bunkers are replaced with sprawling, sandy native areas, and a massive crossbunker spans the width of the fairway, connecting with nearby holes and tying together the natural landforms. Green complexes throughout the course have been lowered to fit the landscape, and are complemented by Hanse’s unique bunker designs.

“No. 4 is a companion in the landscape, but it is not a tribute to No. 2 in the features,” Hanse says. “The greens are different, the approaches are different and we wanted to take advantage of the landforms, which are much more dramatic than those on No. 2.”

Rees Jones – son of Robert Trent and brother of Robert Trent, Jr. – built No. 7 in 1986, on the site of a forgotten nine-hole employee course laid out by Donald Ross.

The layout unfolds overdramatic, hilly terrain that’s dotted with wetlands in lower-lying areas. No. 7 has many colorful flourishes. Old bunkers from the employee course adorn the tee of the par-4 4th hole; one wetlands area, the “Devil’s Gut,” must be cleared on your approach to the short par-4 7th hole, and Jones’ trademark “Fingers” bunker demands accuracy on 16.

Every hole on No. 7 features something to test your game. Just ask Tiger Woods, who won his lone Pinehurst title to date here in the 1992 Big I Junior Classic.

Building a new course grand enough to celebrate Pinehurst’s first 100 years might intimidate some architects, but Tom Fazio took on the assignment with gusto. No. 8 – which opened in 1996 – combines classic Donald Ross concepts with the whimsical snarls that have become Fazio’s calling card.

Fazio took full advantage of the 420 acres of rolling terrain and natural wetlands to fashion a course that’s visually enthralling and challenging yet fun to play; it’s a nod to No. 2, but hardly a replication. Many feel No. 8 synthesizes all the elements of the Pinehurst golf experience into one layout.

This championship track has twice been home to the PGA Club Pro Championship. Just a short drive from the main club, the Pinehurst spirit is quite alive at No. 8 and served as the companion course for the 2017 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship.

No. 10 is Pinehurst’s first new course in nearly three decades, but in truth it’s been centuries, even millennia, in the making. Ranked by Sports Illustrated as The Best New Course in 2024.

The landscape underlying Tom Doak’s new design features native wiregrass, sweeping landscape and rolling hills formed by geology. Midway through the course, it also takes advantage of rugged dunes carved out by mining operations around the turn of the 20th Century.

The result is a spectacular course with 75 feet of elevation change that winds its way through the Sandhills on a path toward delivering a golf experience like no other.

18 holes, 71 par, 6532 yards

Tobacco Road Golf Club was built on land tended by the weather-worn hands of tobacco farmers, later shaped and moved through mining and sand excavation before finally being crafted and molded by an artist’s imagination and the revolutionary eye of the late Mike Strantz. When Tobacco Road was little more than a walking path through an expended sand quarry, Strantz said he “knew immediately it could be something not only spectacular, but also unique.”

Established in 1998, Tobacco Road is younger than many of the courses it has surpassed in its accumulation of accolades. Architect Mike Strantz was a student of the Golden Age Architects whose turn of the century designs set the standards while contributing to the development of the principles of golf course architecture and design.

Strantz allowed the rolling terrain to evolve into one of golf’s most uncompromising designs. Beyond the panoramic views and stunning vistas lies a course that tests all of a player’s faculties. Five sets of tees allow a player to undertake the course at a level worthy of their skill; however, one should always keep in mind – it was Strantz’s goal to test “a player’s eye, determination, and wits.”

Designed by Jack Nicklaus II and his team, the Legacy Golf Club is one of the few courses in the Sandhills area to play host to a USGA National Championship.

The course was renovated in 2012 and features Mini Verde greens and is beautifully routed around five lakes. The collection of par 3s may be the best in the area while the 18th hole nicknamed “The Bear” was rated as the best finishing hole in the Pinehurst, Southern Pines and Aberdeen area.

One of the highlights of the course is its unique Scottish-inspired design, featuring rolling terrain, deep pot bunkers, and undulating greens reminiscent of the classic links courses across the Atlantic.

18 holes, 71 par, 6436 yards

A Silver Medal Resort as awarded by GOLF Magazine, along with Mid Pines, Pine Needles offers character, warmth and comfort. Originally built in 1927, this course has been meticulously restored under the watchful eye of Donald Ross aficionado, John Fought.

The greens were rebuilt, bunkers were dug out, fresh sand was installed and some holes were “stretched” to return the shot values that Ross intended for this course. Additionally, fairway bunkers are now placed so that they serve as the kind of hazard that Ross intended for shots from the tees. Today, Pine Needles can be stretched to more than 7,000 yards in length.

18 holes, 72 par, 6723 yards

The Mid Pines golf course remains exactly as Donald Ross crafted the course in 1921, a rarity among his masterpieces. Impeccably manicured to modern standards, Mid Pines is a classic gem that has played host to many national competitions including the 2002 USGA Senior Women’s Amateur Championship.

Many people have characterized the course as “pure Donald Ross” because of how it fits the land where it was built. It’s been said that Mid Pines was never conceived as a daunting task to the finest players competing under championship conditions, but rather the course was intended as a fun course, but with sufficient challenge for members, guests and professionals.

Set on over 500 acres of the rolling Sandhills, the Mid South Club features significant elevation changes and is adorned with lakes, wetlands and a plethora of club amenities. Opened in 1993 and designed by Arnold Palmer and Ed Seay, the course continues to receive outstanding reviews from almost every publication, tee time website and player alike.

Mid South is no walk in the park, it’s a tough test of your golfing ability. A par 71 layout that plays 7,000 yards from the back tees. Compared to other courses in the area, the terrain at Mid South has much more elevation change and rolling hills. It’s not just the terrain at Mid South but the course has a perfect mix of bunkers and water hazards that heighten the challenge while rounding out a world-class design. Mid South is a world-class golf course that can stand toe to toe with any course in the country let alone Pinehurst

The New Course at Talamore 18 holes, 71 par, 6840 yards
Mid South Golf Club 18 holes, 71 par, 7003 yards

Talamore entered the Pinehurst arena in 1991 when architect Rees Jones debuted his legendary design at Talamore. With more than 150 feet of elevation change, wetlands, lakes, towering longleaf pines, Jones fashioned an exceptional addition to the Pinehurst area.

The course has garnered many awards, including Top 100 Courses in America, North Carolina Golf Course of the Year, Top Five New Couses and Best New Golf Course in the South by Golf Digest.

Originally known as Pinehurst Plantation, Arnold Palmer’s Mid South Club became part of the Talamore Resort in 2004. The King would be proud. Since taking the helm, Talamore Resort has added a stunning new Clubhouse, exceptional pool and tennis facilities and the now famed Mid South Lodges to this 600 acre world class gated golf course community.

18 holes, 71 par 6883 yards

Dormie Club is a short drive from the Village of Pinehurst, an area widely known as the Home of American Golf. Though not far removed from area conveniences, the club's size and layout seclude its golfers from roadways and residential real estate, providing an unadulterated pure golf experience.

The highly anticipated 2010 opening of Dormie Club was met by rave reviews, including a No. 3 ranking in Golfweek's list of best new courses. Designed by Bill Coore and two-time Masters champion Ben Crenshaw, the 18-hole course features 110-foot elevation changes, three natural lakes, and an aesthetic that draws inspiration from the Scottish Highlands.

Its Old World-design includes a number of reachable par fours, bunkers positioned to stimulate creative strategy, and a 241-yard reverse Redan par three. The course features Bermuda fairways and tees with bent grass greens. It is currently ranked No.3 among the best courses you can play in North Carolina by both Golf Magazine and Golfweek and the 12th best course in North Carolina by Golf Digest.

18 holes, 71 par, 354 yards

The Southern Pines Golf Club was established in 1906 with the opening of nine holes designed by Donald Ross. An additional nine holes were designed by Ross and added in 1912 to complete this links-style layout. Largely untouched to this day, the golf course winds its way through pristine longleaf pines and brilliant, colorful azaleas. Wonderful conditions complement the signature traits of Ross’ undulating greens and creative bunkering.

After more than 100 years. Southern Pines Golf Club continues to deliver a great Donald Ross challenge and experience at a modest price.